


Did It Hurt When You—

by asideofourown



Category: Good Omens (TV), Good Omens - Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett
Genre: Bad Pick-Up Lines, Comforting Aziraphale (Good Omens), Don’t copy to another site, Established Relationship, Fluff, Hurt Crowley (Good Omens), Hurt/Comfort, Jealous Aziraphale (Good Omens), M/M, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-26
Updated: 2019-09-26
Packaged: 2020-10-28 07:35:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,405
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20774906
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/asideofourown/pseuds/asideofourown
Summary: "—Fell from Heaven?”Crowley stiffened. Behind his glasses, his eyes widened, the yellow irises covering the whites.The music of the club faded into ringing, behind which he could almost imagine he heard the screams of the Fallen, the crackle of burning wings.  The club no longer smelled like sweat and alcohol, but like brimstone and ash.Old wounds, old aches, old scars, flared with phantom pain as Crowley tried not to break apart and shatter into a million worthless pieces.[A thoughtless pickup line brings up old memories]





	Did It Hurt When You—

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into Русский available: [Скажи мне, ангел](https://archiveofourown.org/works/22408423) by [Reya_Dawnbringer](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Reya_Dawnbringer/pseuds/Reya_Dawnbringer), [WTF Good Omens 2020 (team_Good_Omens)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/team_Good_Omens/pseuds/WTF%20Good%20Omens%202020)

> I'm sure this has been done before, but.
> 
> **Content warning for depiction/discussion of Falling and Falling-related trauma**
> 
> Enjoy!

The club was already crowded with humans when Crowley walked in, his hands stuffed into the too-small pockets of his leather jacket.He paused for a moment just inside the door, taking the chance to adjust his eyes to the dim light.He couldn’t imagine for a moment why in the world Aziraphale had asked him to meet here, of all places— a dark club full of writhing, grinding humans with music so loud that he was already getting a headache wasn’t exactly Aziraphale’s _scene._

Sure enough, though, after a moment of scanning the crowds, Crowley spotted a familiar head of curly blond hair at the bar.Aziraphale was sitting next to a man who looked like he very much wanted to drown in his beer.Their heads were tilted together as they spoke, and Crowley didn’t even need the celestial energy brightening the metaphysical space around Aziraphale to tell that he was in the midst of imparting some angelic advice or performing some kind of blessing-type thing.

Crowley’s lips twisted into what might have been a smile or a sneer, and he sauntered to the bar, taking a seat at the opposite end.It would be best to let Aziraphale finish whatever he was doing, he suspected, and too many Heavenly vibes would do nothing to help his headache.

Aziraphale caught his eye just as he sat several seats down, even through the crowds, and flashed him a smile.Crowley jerked his chin in a small nod of acknowledgement, and Aziraphale went back to his blessing.

Crowley slumped into his seat with a grunt and wordlessly signaled the bartender, ordering a drink.He pulled out his phone as he waited, logging into one of his troll Twitter accounts and posting a few tweets that were sure to cause some trouble.

His drink appeared in front of him and Crowley took a small sip, wrinkling his nose.For Somebody’s sake, he had hoped that if Aziraphale wanted to meet him in a club it would at least have decent alcohol.He downed half the glass in another unpleasant mouthful, hoping that it would taste better if he drank faster, and then suspended a few celebrity accounts before closing out of Twitter.

He was just turning to look and see if Aziraphale was about finished up when a human sat down in the miraculously empty seat next to him with a smile.Crowley bit back a frown, glancing over the human’s shoulder in time to see Aziraphale comfortingly patting the shoulder of the man he had been talking to, taking the last sip of his own drink.

Crowley stifled a fond smile.Aziraphale had asked to meet him here, but he was nearly certain he could convince the angel to leave with him.Aziraphale, at least, had some decent alcohol in his back room.

Next to him, the human seemed to think Crowley was smiling at _him,_ and said, “Hey, I’m Bryce.”He held out a hand, and _yeah,_ that smile was definitely flirtatious.

Crowley stared flatly down at the human’s hand from behind his sunglasses, and didn’t take it.“Anthony,” he replied, and then went back to his horrid drink.

“Do you come here often?” Bryce asked charmingly, leaning one arm on the bar.“I don’t think I’ve seen you around before.And I would definitely remember someone like you,” he added with an overly exaggerated wink.

Crowley sighed.He _knew_ he was the sexiest demon to ever walk the face of the planet (not that he had much competition, a voice in his head that sounded suspiciously like Aziraphale reminded him), but this was a tad irritating.Maybe he could get a little temptation in, though.It’d look nice on the report to Hell he no longer had to send.

With effort, Crowley fixed a casual smile to his face and replied, “I’m new.”

“Oh, yeah?” Bryce said, leaning a little closer.

Crowley’s tongue absently flicked out of his mouth, and he wrinkled his nose at the scent of too-strong cologne.“Yep, I’ve never been here before,” Crowley replied easily, shifting his accent.“Moved to London from Belfast last week.”He pretended to eye Bryce appreciatively (his type ran much more… angelic, normally), and then leaned in and said, “Know any good places around here to… sin?”

Bryce’s flirtatious smile turned practically lascivious.“Do I ever,” he said.

“Sounds like you’d be up for some fun tonight,” Crowley added invitingly.He had absolutely no intention of doing what he was implying to this human, of course, but if Bryce was in the mood maybe he’d go out and spread some lust in the world.

Bryce inched half off his chair, so close that his knee pressed against the outside of Crowley’s thigh.“I can’t get over how gorgeous you are, darling,” he murmured, and Crowley couldn’t help but preen just a bit.Retired or not, he still had it.

“Tell me, angel,” Bryce said, resting his hand on Crowley’s arm.“Did it hurt when you fell from Heaven?”

Crowley stiffened.Behind his glasses, his eyes widened, the yellow irises covering the whites.

The music of the club faded into ringing, behind which he could almost imagine he heard the screams of the Fallen, the crackle of burning wings.The club no longer smelled like sweat and alcohol, but like brimstone and ash.

Old wounds, old aches, old scars, flared with phantom pain as Crowley tried not to break apart and shatter into a million worthless pieces.

“Dear?”

Distantly, Crowley was aware of a familiar presence at his side, and managed to turn his head enough to see Aziraphale standing there with a worried frown on his face.Bryce was still staring at him as well, and he looked incredibly confused.

Crowley wasn’t sure how long he had been quiet, between that question and this moment.His voice was hoarse when he said quietly, “Not at all, just like slipping into a hot tub.”

“My dearest,” Aziraphale said firmly, and the way he very impolitely pried Bryce’s fingers off Crowley’s arm spoke to how worried he was.“I think we ought to go.”

“You know this guy, Anthony?” Bryce asked, his tone edging into confrontational.Crowley swallowed hard around the lump in his throat, his mouth so dry he wasn’t sure he could speak.

“He’s my partner,” Aziraphale said indignantly, his hand still on Crowley’s shoulder.“And I’ll thank you not to bother him any further.”There was Heavenly weight behind those words, and without another word Bryce got up and walked stiffly away.There was another flash of energy, but it didn’t land quite right in Crowley’s scattered mind, it reminded him— it reminded him of the few times he had gone to check up on Aziraphale when the angel performed a temptation for him, and had found the magical residue to be just a bit darker than normal.

“Crowley,” Aziraphale said softly, and then he was in front of Crowley, leaning down a little so they were at the same level.

Crowley became aware of the fact that he was slumped a little in his chair, that his hands were shaking as they clenched in his lap.He bit his tongue so hard it bled, and forced himself to _get it together_.For Satan’s sake, he wasn’t—

“My dear,” Aziraphale whispered.“Can you stand?”

“M’fine,” Crowley forced himself to mutter, and got unsteadily to his feet.

Aziraphale’s hand went to his back to steady him, landing between his shoulder blades, and on another plane Crowley’s wings burned.He jerked away like he’d been struck, and Aziraphale quickly withdrew his hand.

“Right, right,” Aziraphale muttered, looking incredibly flustered.

Crowley drew himself up, forcing down the nausea churning in his gut, and said, “Alright, Aziraphale, let’s go.”He headed for the door, his swagger due far more to the fact that his knees felt like rubber than to any desire to walk seductively.Aziraphale followed after him, and Crowley could practically hear him wringing his hands worriedly.

The cool night air was some help on Crowley’s hot face as they left the club, and he let the even click of his boots on the pavement drive away the last echoing screams in his memory.At his side, Aziraphale walked silently, close enough that Crowley could almost feel the warmth of his arm.He took a few long, slow breaths, despite the fact that he didn’t actually need to breathe, and then asked quietly, “Back to yours, or mine?”

“I think mine is closer,” Aziraphale replied gently, somehow knowing that Crowley didn’t particularly want to try to drive.Crowley nodded wordlessly, and made it so that the Bentley was parked haphazardly outside the bookshop by the time they got there.

Aziraphale let Crowley into the bookshop ahead of him and Crowley made a beeline for the back room, collapsing bonelessly on the couch.Aziraphale came in and sat next to him after a moment, but there was enough space between them that they didn’t touch.

Crowley pulled off his sunglasses and rubbed tiredly at his eyes.“What is it, angel?” he murmured.“I can hear you staring at me.”

“I’m going to make tea,” Aziraphale said quietly, avoiding the question.“Would you like some?”

Crowley slid his glasses back on before opening his eyes.“Uh, d’you have the kind, you know, that we had in Ankara that one time?”

“I’m sure I’ll be able to miraculously find some in my cabinet,” Aziraphale replied, a smile in his voice.His hand gently brushed over Crowley’s shoulder and then he was gone, off in the kitchenette rummaging around for his kettle.

Crowley sighed quietly, staring up at the ceiling.He toed off his shoes and then kicked his feet up on the couch, closing his eyes.Against his will visions of fire and Falling flashed behind his eyelids, and he considered turning into a snake so he wouldn’t have that darkness to fill.Instead, he gazed at the bookcase across from him and listened to Aziraphale putter, humming quietly under his breath.Crowley exhaled again, and for the first time since the club felt the churning in his gut calm a little.

Crowley kept breathing, kept listening, until Aziraphale returned with two steaming mugs.Crowley pulled up his legs to make room, but to his surprise Aziraphale sat down next to his head instead, carefully handing him his tea.“There you go, dearest,” he said before taking a long drink of his own tea.

Crowley cupped the mug in both hands, sipping a little.The tea was hot, burning, but not in a bad way.

He and Aziraphale drank in companionable silence for a while, and when he was finished Crowley set his mug on the table before lying on the couch again.Somehow, his head ended up in Aziraphale’s lap, and the angel set to gently running his fingers through Crowley’s hair.

“Dearest,” Aziraphale said after a while, his voice cautious and gentle and loving, and Crowley knew exactly what was coming.

He squeezed his eyes shut behind his glasses and said in a rougher voice, “Yes, it hurt.”

“You don’t have to talk about anything you don’t want to,” Aziraphale said quickly, steadily reassuring.

Crowley swallowed hard.He was glad for his sunglasses, eye contact would just make everything harder.“It was six thousand years ago, I should be over it,” he murmured.“I am, mostly, it just... took me by surprise to have it mentioned in the club.I wasn’t expecting to think about... the whole thing tonight.”

Aziraphale’s fingers stilled for just a moment, and then he resumed gently brushing Crowley’s hair.“Crowley,” he said after a long pause.“You know it’s perfectly alright to still be upset and hurt about it?That it might not be something to quickly ‘get over’?I can’t even imagine—”

“And if I have my way, you never will,” Crowley added firmly.He opened his eyes to see Aziraphale frowning down at him.

Crowley swallowed hard.“Listen, angel,” he said seriously.“I Fell a long time ago, and I don’t like to think about it, but— but it’s done.And I didn’t mean to Fall, not really, but I don’t regret asking questions.And if that’s unforgivable... I guess that’s what I am.”

Aziraphale’s fingers tangled in his hair, and he leaned down so that their faces were close, their foreheads pressed together.“I would say I forgive you,” he whispered.“But I don’t think, in Falling, that you’ve done anything that needs forgiveness.”

He brushed his fingers against the arm of Crowley’s sunglasses, and Crowley nodded wordlessly.Aziraphale pulled them off and then gently pressed a kiss in the space between his serpent’s eyes.

Crowley exhaled a breathy laugh, or a choked-off sob.“In the club,” he said softly, his eyes pricking a little with tears.He needed a change of subject if he was going to keep himself together, and Aziraphale nodded, allowing him that dignity.“Did you curse that man?”

Aziraphale blushed a bit at getting caught out.“Just a little,” he said defensively.“He was being ever so rude! You were obviously upset. And you’re obviously taken.”

Crowley grinned, still a little wobbly, and reached up to cup Aziraphale’s face with one hand.“What was the curse?”

Aziraphale’s blush deepened.“I cursed him to always have a piece of spinach in his teeth when he’s trying to flirt,” he mumbled.

Crowley laughed loudly at that.“Devilish, angel!” he exclaimed.

“I’m sure I’ll undo it in a few day’s time, I just—“ Aziraphale started.He huffed, traced his thumb over Crowley’s cheekbone.“I hate seeing you upset, dearest.And I was—“

“Jealous,” Crowley finished for him.

Aziraphale made a noise of reluctant agreement in the back of his throat.“If we must be so blunt.”

Crowley smiled.He could tell that he would be a little off for the rest of the night, thinking about his Fall tended to have that effect— his stomach still twisted anxiously, and fire flickered behind his eyelids whenever he blinked, and the smell of burnt feathers seemed to linger behind the scent of mouldering books and sweet tea and Aziraphale’s cologne— but somehow, being with the angel made it seem a little bit better.

“I’m glad you’re here, angel,” Crowley said.

Aziraphale bent down over him again, gave him the sweetest kiss on the lips.“For eternity, dearest.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! I'm [here](https://asideofourown.tumblr.com/) if that's something you're into


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